HOME

Child Protection Policy                                                        

Gatehouse School

Independent Day School for Boys and Girls

1             Policy statement

1.1              This policy has been authorised by the governors, is addressed to all members of staff and volunteers and is available to parents on request. It applies wherever staff or volunteers are working with pupils even where this is away from the school, for example at an activity centre or on an educational visit.

1.2       It follows the local inter-agency procedures of the Tower Hamlets Safeguarding Children Board.

1.3       Every pupil should feel safe and protected from any form of abuse which, in this policy, means any kind of neglect, non-accidental physical injury, sexual exploitation or emotional ill-treatment.

1.4       Gatehouse School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school will take all reasonable measures to:

• protect each pupil from any form of abuse, whether from an adult or another pupil;

• be alert to signs of abuse both in the school and from outside;

•  deal appropriately with every suspicion or complaint of abuse;

• ensure that we practise safe recruitment in checking the suitability of staff and volunteers (including staff employed by another organisation) to work with children and young people in accordance with regulations and guidance given in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education;

• ensure that we carry out all necessary checks on the suitability of people who serve on the school's governing body in accordance with regulations and guidance given in Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education;

• consider and develop procedures to deal with any other safeguarding issues which may be specific to individual children in our schools or in our local area;

• design and operate procedures which, so far as possible, ensure that teachers and others who are innocent are not prejudiced by false allegations;

• have regard to guidance issued by the Secretary for Education and Skills in accordance with section 157 Education Act and associated regulations.

2     Signs of abuse       

Child abuse can take four forms, all of which can cause long term damage to a child: physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect and child sexual abuse. Bullying and domestic violence are also forms of child abuse.

A child may be experiencing abuse if he or she is:

• frequently dirty, hungry or inadequately dressed

•  left in unsafe situations or without medical attention

• constantly "put down", insulted, sworn at or humiliated

• seems afraid of parents or carers

• severely bruised or injured

•  displays sexual behaviour which doesn't seem appropriate for their age

•  growing up in a home where there is domestic violence

•  living with parents or carers involved in serious drug or alcohol abuse

This list does not cover every child abuse possibility. Staff may see other things in a child’s behaviour or circumstances that worry them. For example:

• the pupil says s/he has been abused or asks a question which gives   rise to that inference;

• there is no reasonable or consistent explanation for a pupil's injury; the injury is unusual in kind or location; there have been a number of injuries; there is a pattern to the injuries;

• the pupil's behaviour stands out from the group as either being extreme model behaviour or extremely challenging behaviour; or there is a sudden change in the pupil's behaviour;

• the pupil asks to drop subjects with a particular teacher and seems reluctant to discuss the reasons;

• the pupil's academic, personal and/or physical development is impaired;

• the pupil loses or gains weight;

• the pupil appears neglected, e.g. dirty, hungry, inadequately clothed;

• the pupil is reluctant to go home, or has been openly rejected by his/her parents or carers. 

3          Duty of employees, governors and volunteers

Every employee and governor of the school as well as well as every volunteer who assists the school are under a legal duty;

• to protect children from abuse;

• to be aware of the school's child protection procedures and to follow them;

• to know how to access and implement the procedures, independently if necessary;

• to keep a sufficient record of any significant complaint, conversation or event;

• to report any matters of concern to the Designated Person;

• to undertake appropriate training including refresher training at three-yearly intervals.

4          The Designated Person

4.1       The school has appointed a senior member of staff with the necessary status and authority (Designated Person) to be responsible for matters relating to child protection and welfare. The main responsibilities of the Designated Person are, on behalf of the governors, to:

• be the first point of contact for parents, pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff in all matters of child protection;

• co-ordinate the child protection procedures in the school;

• maintain an ongoing training programme for all school employees and governors;

• monitor the keeping, confidentiality and storage of records in relation to child protection;

• liaise with the child protection officer appointed by the SSD (Local Authority Designated Officer);

• act upon all suspicion and evidence of abuse whether caused in school or elsewhere;

• keep the Head informed of all actions unless the Head is the subject of a complaint. In this situation, the Designated Person should consult with the Chair of Governors or in his / her absence, the governor responsible for child protection.

• ensure that the head, designated governor and staff receive the required training in child protection (updated every three years) and ensure that part-time and voluntary staff are made aware of the arrangements;

• ensure that the behaviour and actions of all staff do not place pupils or themselves at risk of harm or of allegations of harm to a pupil (for example, in one-to-one tuition, sports coaching, conveying a pupil by car, engaging in appropriate electronic communication with a pupil etc.

4.2      If the Designated Person is unavailable or is herself the subject of acomplaint, her duties will be carried out by the head or other deputy, who has received appropriate training.

4.3      The Designated Person has undertaken child protection training and training in    inter-agency working and will attend refresher training at two yearly intervals. 

4.4       The Designated Person for the entire school is Miss Fiona Tighe, who may be contacted on 020 8980 2978

5           Procedures

5.1         A member of staff aware of or suspecting abuse:

• must listen carefully to the child and keep an open mind. Staff should not take a decision as to whether or not the abuse has taken place;

• must not ask leading questions, that is, a question which suggests its own answer;

• must reassure the child but not give a guarantee of absolute confidentiality. The member of staff should explain that they need to pass the information to Miss Fiona Tighe who will ensure that the correct action is taken;

• must keep a sufficient written record of conversation. The record should include the date, time and place of the conversation and the essence of what said and done by whom and in whose presence. The record should be signed by the person making it and should use the names, not initials.

• Must hand the record immediately to Miss Fiona Tighe.

5.2         Preserving evidence: All evidence, (for example, scribbled notes, mobile phones containing text messages, clothing and computers), must be safeguarded and preserved.

5.3         Action by the Designated Person: Within 24 hours of receipt of information about abuse or suspected abuse, Miss Fiona Tighe must report the matter to SSD who will investigate the issue and advise on the action the school must take.

5.4         The parents and pupil will be informed in writing of the referral to the SSD and will be provided with contact names, addresses and telephone numbers, as appropriate.

5.5         Allegations against pupils: Miss Fiona Tighe will advise the SSD of any serious allegation of abuse against a pupil. Minor allegations will be dealt with in accordance with the school's policy on behaviour and discipline.

6             Monitoring

6.1         The governors, through Miss Fiona Tighe will ensure appropriate child protection checks and procedures apply to all staff including supply staff, governors, volunteers, employees of other organisations spending extended time on the school premises (for example, contracted work people) and any staff employed by another organisation and working with the school's pupils on another site (for example, in a separate institution).

6.2         The governors will ensure that they undertake an annual review of the school’s child protection policies and procedures and of the efficacy with which the required duties have been discharged. They will ensure that they have sufficient training to ensure that they are equipped to undertake this review.

6.3         The governors, through Miss Fiona Tighe will ensure that any deficiencies or weaknesses in regard to child protection arrangements are remedied without delay.

6.4         The governors, through Miss Fiona Tighe will ensure that where the school ceases to use the services of any person (whether employed, contracted, a volunteer or student) because that person was considered unsuitable to work with children, a detailed report is made to the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) within one month of the person leaving the school. The governors have noted that failure to make a report constitutes an offence which may result in the school being removed from the register of independent schools.

7             Scope of the Policy

8             This policy is applicable to all children in Gatehouse School including pupils in the EYFS.

9             Contact numbers

9.1         The telephone numbers of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Social Services Department are as follows:

Child Protection Duty Advice Line                       020 7364 3444

            Social Services Duty & Assessment        020 7364 4720/5896

Social Services After Hours Team            020 7364 4079 (from 5pm)

Police Child Protection Team                    020 8217 6530

9.2         The following telephone numbers may be useful for pupils:

Childline                    0800 1111

NSPCC                      0808 800 500